When a fun-loving, middle-aged single mom accidentally gets pregnant, her prim teenage daughter is scandalized. But mother and daughter slowly reverse roles as the pregnancy progresses, in this delightful, insightful Northern Irish dramedy.
The feature debut of director Shelly Love and screenwriter Tess McGowan is a smart, heartwarming double coming-of-age story. Set in Derry, Northern Ireland, A Bump Along the Way follows a mother and daughter on turbulent journeys in search of the best versions of themselves.
With her charismatic smile and formidable wit, Pamela (Bronagh Gallagher) knows how to have a good time — and she's not about to let a little thing like middle age stop her. The night of her 44th birthday, Pamela has it off in a van with a stranger 20 years her junior. Her teenage daughter Allegra (Lola Petticrew) is appalled to find her mum hungover at breakfast the next morning, her outrage indicative of the differences between them. While Pamela's content to pass her days working at a bakery and her nights painting the town red with her pal Sinead (Mary Moulds), Allegra focuses on her schoolwork, her veganism, and keeping up appearances. While Pamela attracts men with ease, Allegra can hardly speak to the cute rugby player she has a crush on.
This status quo is turned upside down when Pamela discovers she's pregnant. Once the shock wears off, the imminent arrival of the family's third member prompts a curious reversal: while Pamela becomes a health-conscious homebody, Allegra makes new friends, jazzes up her wardrobe, and takes a shot at being a party girl. Mother and daughter swing to opposite extremes; if they can meet in the middle, they might just discover reserves of love and resourcefulness neither knew they had.
MICHÈLE MAHEUX